Determining the appropriate hospice care you or even a loved one requires at the end-of-life may appear like a daunting task to take on during a currently difficult time. In a recently available blog describing hospice and palliative care, I’ve received many responses from readers who wish to know how to choose a hospice program that is right for them. Several readers have shared their experiences with me on hospice care; some good, and others bad. I have compiled some tips from industry experts to help take the guesswork out of selecting a hospice hospice care near me.
One of the first what to remember when beginning your look for hospice care is to understand hospices are first and foremost a small business, and while a well-intended business, they need yours. That said, it`s vital that you ask questions and get answers before committing to anything. Differences between hospices tend to be hard to ascertain because they tend to offer similar services. While memberships in state hospice organizations and The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) may sound impressive, they’re offered to any hospice. What does matter is that the hospice is Medicare certified, as Medicare provides the baseline requirements for quality care.
To qualify for Medicare certification, hospices must offer 16 separate core and auxiliary services. Core services include bereavement counseling, nutritional services and doctor services. Continuous home care, physical therapy, medication administration and household services are typical examples of auxiliary services. Also important is whether a hospice will accept your insurance. The Hospice Blog offers some great advice and tips that will help streamline the search process for you. First, learn who owns the hospice agency you’re considering, and what the owner`s background is. May be the hospice service nonprofit, for profit or government operated? The kind of ownership may influence the services a hospice patient receives. And talk to the administrator when contacting a hospice.
Let’s face it, the administrator gets the authority to state yes or no to anything the hospice office assistant or hospice employer has promised you. When you have found a hospice that meets your preferences, make certain it’s the house office, rather than branch. Generally, the nurse who resides at the house office has access to the individual in charge. Branch offices usually do not have employees who make financial or business decisions. Finally, before picking a hospice, discover where the on-call nurse lives. If the nurse lives far from the individual requiring hospice care, the response time can take longer.